PRISTINA (AP)--Kosovo's President Ibrahim Rugova said Thursday independence for the troubled province is the best solution for the Balkans region.
"It's a compromise and an optimum for all the Albanians in the region," Rugova said of independence for his province, in which a majority of people are ethnic Albanians.
"We did not demand a unification with Albania, which would create other problems," he said. "So, an independent Kosovo would bring calm to this part of Europe."
Rugova made the remarks after an hour-long meeting of Kosovo's negotiating team, which met for the first time Thursday ahead of possible talks on the future of the disputed U.N.-run province.
The team is to map out a strategy after U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday he is likely to recommend starting talks on Kosovo's future status in the coming weeks.
Rugova, who is suffering from cancer, presided over Thursday's meeting held in his residence in the province's capital, Pristina. The team also includes the province's prime minister, two opposition leaders and the head of the assembly.
Kosovo has been run by the U.N. and patrolled by North Atlantic Treaty Organization peacekeepers since the alliance's 1999 air war that halted a Serb crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanians.
The future status of the ethnically divided province is a highly contentious issue. The majority ethnic Albanians demand full independence, but the Serb minority insists the province remain part of Serbia-Montenegro, the union that replaced Yugoslavia.
International officials have said talks on the province's future status depend on whether progress has been made on eight standards, including establishing functioning democratic institutions, protecting minorities, promoting economic development and ensuring the rule of law, freedom of movement and property rights.
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12 comments:
...the only solution.
It takes two to tango and we don't want to tango with Serbia. Sorry no dance.
You have no choice!!
LONG LIVE THE PRESIDENT OF KOSOVA!!!
He will succumb to damage the cancer has cause and die within 1 year.
What compromise? if Rugova had made his intensions known about unification with albania, NATO would've never gotten involved.
"Kosovo President: Independence is Best Solution To Calm Region"
That sounds like a threat if I ever heard one!!
You moran's are going to ruin your golden opportunity with this kind of talk.
...more blackmail from albanians. independence or more violence. I say more violence. Kill more. Maybe the albanian thirst for blood will abate after a real blood-letting from KFOR and NATO.
Hahaha... you Serbs are pathetic...
Serbs have killed thousands of babies in the last ten years, they have burned half of their bodies, and theys still have no shame but mention blood and accuse their victims.
The stigma the Serb nation holds had no effect on these animals.
Were those 7 months old babies your uncles, fathers, and cousins and who knows maybe you yourselves killed blood-thirsty.You motherfvckers.
"You motherfvckers"
more albanian profanity. When ever you get the best of an albanian and they realize that they are wrong they start using profanity. Cool your jets Eddie!!
what astonishes me is that the albanians refuse to acknowledge their raping, thieving and murder of serbs in kosovo for some time...as if the 90's just happened out of the blue. and subsequently, that no serbs died at the hands of albanians...how about kleka? those serbs were burned in ovens. poor albanians. just as guilty as every other ethnic group in the balkans but unable to admit it.
Yea yea everyone is guilty, but the Serbs.
The Croatians are guilty, the Bosnians are guilty, the Albanians are guilty. Only the Serbs are the angels of the balkans. The other devils are unjustly imrisoning in Hague these angels who only did their god given duty in killing those babies and burning them( that's what the pries that kissed their hands after the murders occued told them).
Brainwashed idiots. Only in the masacre of Srebrenica there were
20 000 Serbs involved. Every Serb had at least a member of the family who was involved in the killing those babies, elders, and women if he hasn't killed them himself.
Everyone in the balkans is guilty, but now a new powerhouse is about to emerge, the albanians. Even with no unifications we will create tiny independent countries that will fight for one another.
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